Spiritual Ecology in the 21st Century

January 4, 2004

From Earth Prayers

Hail Mother, who art the Earth
Hollowed be thy soil, rock and flora
That nourish and support life
Blessed be thy wind that gives us breath
And thy waters that quench,
Bath and refresh all living things
Holy Earth, as one we praise your majesty, grace and wonder

Bill Faherty

Good Morning and Happy New Year:

I am once again deeply honored for your invitation to have me join you on this first Sunday in the New Year. And in the spirit of new beginnings and New Year resolutions, I would like to put in a request that we each include taking better care of our planet Earth as one of our personal resolutions for 2004. This morning I would like to talk about our shared environmental concerns and how our collective consciousness could be utilized. In the name of progress and civilization we have cut down, and through the natural landscape to build homes, roads, cities. The sometimes-irreversible consequences, of ecological unconsciousness are the disappearance of our natural resources, clean water or vital rain forests. Nature's retribution for our collective unconsciousness are the now too common and senseless forest fires and the subsequent tragic mudslides with deaths tolling in epic proportions We have forgotten how to pay attention to mother nature who deserves our wonder, awe and respect. Instead she must sustain and carry on in spite of our callous disregard. The dire consequences of our polluted waters, Earth and sky are creeping closer each day. Wildfires. Mudslides, global warming, ozone depletion.

Is the Earth trying to tell us something? Is Nature sending some serious messages? I don't remember it always being like this, with a new disaster before we have time to recover from the last. Or maybe I just never noticed. Is that possible? The signs are everywhere, if we pay attention. Paying attention is a first step towards a new Earth consciousness. Utilizing this skill could result in a cleaner and maybe healthier planet. But how do we pay closer attention and to what specifically? Personally, I miss a lot of things right in front of my eyes. I may drive down the road and see a sign that's been there for years. And ask my husband "when did they put that up? I never noticed it before." And a more embarrassing personal example of this happened two foliages ago. On a sunny October day, my husband Alan and I planned a tour to see the beautiful New England foliage. He asked me to wait in the car while he insisted that he had to take photos of the trees in the park, which is right in front of our house. I was anxious to be on our way, and harassed him to finish so we could go. We drove two hundred miles, first north, then west and finally south. Everything along the highway had turned brown. Exhausted, with camera in hand, and no pictures, we returned to Newburyport seven hours later.

As we neared home, on Route 1A, we started to finally see some color. When we arrived at our driveway, I saw a most stunning, brilliant and totally yellow oak tree directly across the street from our house. So we photographed it (again) and laughed at ourselves.

And I felt so silly for driving all day in search of what was right in front of me. But I wonder if, without the journey, if I would have arrived at this understanding, this…awareness. Sometimes G-d goes to great lengths to get my attention. Lately through the species of birds. On Friday, twice, I noticed two of these majestic creations. Right outside my office window, a dozen or so black ravens perched themselves on the ledge. This year, I noticed that these birds seem to stay longer and longer in to this winter season. Why is that? So I am paying attention to nature through G-d's ravens, who seem to be delaying migration this year. And later, on that Friday, I got off the elevator on the ninth floor of the Salem Hospital where I work as hospital chaplain. Out of the corner of my eye I saw an enormous red-tailed hawk, who was perched on a balcony rail outside of the hospice patient's room who I was about to visit. I quickly walked past the bird in order to get to my patient. Ten minutes into the visit, it dawned on me what I had seen, and how unusual it was to see a red-tailed hawk on the ninth floor.

I excused myself, returned to the window, and took in the overwhelming beauty of another one of G-d's majestic creations. A short time later, my patient passed away. The red-tailed hawk spread its elegant wings and flew away. A nurse told me that the hawk had been sitting there for three hours. She also told me that it is a native cultural belief that the red-tailed hawk carries the soul to G-d. Had I not paid attention, I could have missed it altogether.

So today I'd like to focus all my attention on possible environmental solutions in the framework of what is often referred to as "spiritual ecology." Harold Klemp in his book "The Language of the soul" illustrates: "We are required spiritually to act with the greatest degree of responsibility both to ourselves and to others. This is what it means to be part of the community of spirit- to be part of the cosmic system of life."

Let's take a few steps back and define ecology as it relates to us human beings. I recently attended a lecture on spiritual ecology with several environmental scholars.

I'd like to share a little of what I learned. Before we look deeper into spiritual ecology, let's review some necessary definitions. "The Earth is a living system, part of the universe which is also a living system. Human beings are integral and crucial parts of this system. The health of the entire system and any of its parts requires sustainable and mutually nurturing relationships among the parts. Healthy human development, both "physical" and "psychological" must include recognition of the interconnectedness and interdependence of the humans and non- humans of the world. This recognition is ecological consciousness. And it is this kind of thinking which moves us closer to the realm of spiritual ecology." Gary Snyder praises nature in his poem in a lovely book entitled "Earth Prayers":

Standing up on lifted, folded rock
looking out and down -

The creek falls to a far valley
hills beyond that
facing, half-forested, dry
clear sky
strong wind in the
stiff glittering needle clusters
of the pine - their brown
round trunk bodies
straight, still,
rustling trembling limbs and twigs

listen.

This living flowing land
is all there is, forever

We are it
it sings through us

Therefore, if one part of the system is afflicted we all are- we are interdependent, interconnected and interrelated in this the web of life. The question remains: How do we humans as a species gain knowledge, insight, empathy, and effectiveness with the Earth as a living system?

In Native Okanogan's tribal wisdom: It is said "To know yourself, you must be in touch with the Earth and have a bond with your community; a relationship to the land. It is critical to one's health, and one's well being. This is ecology consciousness and your true identity."

What specific issues can we become more aware of, more conscious about and participate in saving our planet for future generations? How much time do we have left? How much damage have we already done?

We are constantly searching for newer, faster, younger, prettier, more complicated versions of what we already have. But do we need all this stuff?

It's scary to think about all the stuff. This is a particularly timely concern after participating in holiday mall frenzy only a few weeks ago. What do you think about those new face cloths, you know, the ones you use once and then throw away? It's so simple. You wash, you rinse, and poof - it's garbage. Disposable mops, they're great. Disposable baking pans, nothing to clean up, right?

Is it so hard to imagine a time when we might have disposable houses? To match our disposable income? The Information Age promised more efficiency in less time. And with that extra time we…work more. So we can…buy more stuff. And then we just throw more of it away.

But away where? This stuff doesn't just disappear when it vanishes from my sight. I've been to a landfill; I've seen the accumulated waste of our EFFICIENCY.

And I used to think it just … vanished. But as I start to pay attention, not just to each yellow leaf on an October day, or shivering ravens on a windowsill. But to every non biodegradable item that degrades the Earth, every disposable nonperishable I dispose of, (pause) I start to think: What are we doing to this place? (pause) This place … home.

We must be Conscious of the Earth, for the Earth is the Conscience of our society.

Again I can learn from those people who assign the Earth the respect the Earth deserves. To name a few: Native Americans and Taoists. They care for the Earth not simply because they fear its ruin, but because it is intrinsic to their spirituality. They recognize that what we use does not simply disappear when we're finished with it.

They acknowledge that their Creator also created the forests and the mountains and the oceans, and they strive to renew rather than ravage those resources. To respect G-d we must respect His other creations and the shelter He so generously provided for us. This too is spiritual ecology.

Many of the things we use are made in one country with materials from four other nations, and when we're done with it, the excess goes somewhere else still. This doesn't make us less culpable for any damages incurred during this process: it widens our scope of responsibility. We lament sweatshops but we buy their products and brag about the bargain. We decry destructive logging practices but refuse to recycle in any collectively cumulative fashion. Instead of constructing solutions, we just keep arguing about the problems. At least we know there are problems.

One spiritual ecological exercise in the process of solving this problem might be the following: The next time you see a tiny leaf on the ground, or perhaps while investigating a leaf on your house plant, look carefully at each vein. Pay attention. Re-discover the vibrant color in each minute cell and let this leafy wonder speak to you. Try to feel the cellular connection between you and this small creation of nature. As if the two of you could have a conversation. As if the two of you are in union with one another. Imagine then, that G-d is speaking to you through that splendid leaf. And this is an example of practicing spiritual ecology.

Imagine further, the Earth as a living system. If "Mother Earth" could speak to us about her own concerns for preservation and survival; if she could tell us something that she would like us to know about her.. What would she say? Recently, I asked this question of some of my young drama students. Their replies are heartfelt and insightful: From a six year old boy comes: "If I were a tree, I would not like people to cut me down. If I were a bird, I would not like people to cut down trees because where would I live? If I were a fish, I would not like people to use too much water because it would waste my environment in the sea."

Another child speaks for wild fire. She would like you to know, "without air, I don't exist. I need to be with other things to breathe. I don't like it when you cram me into small containers and misuse me. I can become very destructive when you do this. For instance, I can become a bomb. This is not my true nature. I was meant to give you warmth and light. That is my true nature, as wild fire."

Lauren, who is thirteen, speaks for Mother Earth. "I've been nice enough to let you use my land, water, grass, and trees, as a home. And now, why are you hurting it? My other creatures don't abuse what I give to them."

Her sister, Becca, who is eleven, says to the point: "Why don't you stupid people learn to recycle?"

Another older student chooses to represent the bison. "I have the soul and blood of a prehistoric animal. My ancestors roamed the plains. The Plains Indians had a good relationship of mutual respect with my ancestors. We both have love for the land. We gave warmth and food to the Indians. And then came the white man, killing us for sport. The plains were brown and red with our bodies and our species was almost lost. Only recently have we been rescued from extinction, but the true bison no longer remains. We stand here rooted in our history, strong and proud as a mighty oak, looking to a future, when man will also remember his roots and connect with the spirit of the bison."

Finally, another young voice imagines herself as G-d, speaking to us. G-d might say, "I mean, can't you just picture my old friend Moses talking on a cell phone, typing messages on a laptop, with a cool pair of shades on, and walking right past my burning bush? Do I have to E-mail you humans to get your attention? Or do you screen my messages, the way you screen your calls?"

It's good to hear from our youth. After all, this planet will be their ethical responsibility one day. Perhaps we will return to a simpler and more spiritual time, and the Earth will begin to heal. That is my prayer for today.

I would like to close with one of my favorite Earth poems, from the Gaelic tradition.

Deep peace of the running wave to you,
Of water flowing, rising and falling,
Sometimes advancing, sometimes receding.
May the stream of your life flow unimpeded!
Deep peace of the running wave to you!

Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Which fans your face on a sultry day,
The air which you breathe deeply, rhythmically,
Which imparts to you energy, consciousness, life.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you!

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,
Who, herself unmoving, harbors the movements
And facilitates the life of the ten thousand creatures.
While resting contented, stable, tranquil.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you!

Deep peace of the shining stars to you,
Which stay invisible till darkness falls
And discloses their pure and shining presence
Beaming down in compassion on our turning world.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you!

Anna Smulowitz Sschutz